NYCGuide
Where To Get Happy Hour Margaritas
photo credit: Dane Isaac
You can probably think of about 10 good reasons to head to a margarita Happy Hour. The first nine are work-related, and the tenth has to do with your dubious claim that tequila is the only liquor that doesn't give you a hangover. (If you have five margaritas and one beer, we're pretty sure it's not the beer giving you that hangover.) Keep reading below for margarita deals across the city.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
When: Monday-Friday, 3-7pm
The Deal: $8 Margaritas
Bodega 88 is a sports bar, but it isn't a divey place where you'll see Jets fans playing beer pong (that would be Jake's Dilemma down the street). Here, you can eat some churros or empanadas while you sit in a small booth that has its own TV. The space isn't huge, so it isn't ideal for big groups—just bring a few friends for Happy Hour.
When: Monday-Friday, 4-7pm (Bar and Outdoor Seating Only)
The Deal: $10 Margaritas
The hot pink hut in front of Ruta Oaxaca in Astoria makes this place easy to find. Come by for some queso topped with chorizo, and enchiladas covered in mole. All of the cocktails (including a bunch of margarita variations) are $10 during Happy Hour, and if you stop by for brunch on the weekend, they have 2-for-1 drink specials from 12-4pm.
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When: Monday, All Day
The Deal: $9 Fresh Fruit Frozen and Rocks Margaritas
In case you couldn't tell from the name, this place just south of Union Square serves different kinds of tortas. There's one with panko-crusted eggplant, and another with grilled skirt steak, and they also make taquitos and churros with hot chocolate dipping sauce.
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When: Monday, All Night; Tuesday-Sunday, 4-6pm (Bar Only)
The Deal: $11 Classic Margaritas; $12 Mango or Strawberry Margaritas
When the weather's nice, have some drinks, guacamole, and a build-your-own carnitas taco plate in the backyard at this Mexican spot in Park Slope. Fonda also has locations in Chelsea and Tribeca.
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When: Monday-Friday, 4-7pm; Weekends, 5-7pm (Bar and Lounge Only)
The Deal: $10 Margaritas
This Mexican restaurant on the Upper East Side offers shrimp ceviche and tuna tostadas as well as lobster and adobo grilled chicken tacos. If you get tired of margaritas, there are tequila flights that cost between $20 and $55.
photo credit: Kate Previte
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When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: $8 Traditional Margaritas; $9 Smoky Jalapeño Margaritas
Guacamole, quesadillas, fish tacos, and more are all $10 during Happy Hour at this West Village spot. If you want to sample a bunch of different tequilas and mezcals, Ofrenda is the perfect place to do it, because they have a huge selection of both.
photo credit: Phil Yoon
When: Monday-Thursday, 4-7pm
The Deal: $9 Draft Margaritas
This Mexican spot in Crown Heights is a fun place to bring a group of friends to share shrimp and crab empanadas, chicken with mole, and tacos. They have a weekday brunch that runs until 3:30pm, so take a day off and plan a brunch/Happy Hour doubleheader.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
When: Sunday-Thursday, 2-7pm; Friday, 2-6pm
The Deal: $11-$15 Frozen Margaritas
Sweet and Vicious is a not-so-fancy bar in Nolita that's perfect for when you need a lot of space to drink with a group. You can get frozen margaritas in flavors like peach, mango, and guava, and there's a back patio where you can hang out.
When: Monday-Wednesday, 3-6pm; Thursday-Sunday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $11 Watermelon-Jalapeño Margaritas
La Contenta is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants in NYC. We especially like their lightly-battered fish tacos and hanger steak with a twice-baked potato. This Lower East Side spot is tiny, so get here early if you want to snag a table. (There's also some seating on a sidewalk patio.)
When: Monday-Friday, 5-8pm
The Deal: $8 House and Spicy Margaritas
The garden at this two-floor bar, which is located just a few steps from Gramercy Park, looks like a deck at your friend's summer house. Happy Hour goes until 8pm, and you should know they don't serve any food.
When: Wednesday & Thursday, 5-8pm
The Deal: 2-for-1 Margaritas
Nowadays feels more like a park with non-existent open-container laws than a bar. The massive outdoor space at this Ridgewood spot has picnic tables, fire pits, grassy areas, ping-pong tables, and booths with drinks and food. This is a fun place to day drink with a group (or your dogs), and they often host shows and parties.
When: Monday-Friday, 2:30-6:30pm
The Deal: $8 Frozen Margaritas; $9 Rocks Margaritas (Bar Only)
This FiDi restaurant off Stone Street serves a lot of snacks you'd want with margaritas, such as a salsa sampler with chips, nachos, and hot wings. They also have something called the margarita tower, which is 100 ounces and comes in flavors like blackberry and cactus pear. Mad Dog & Beans also has a Midtown location.
When: Monday-Friday, 4-6pm
The Deal: $10 Margaritas
Haven at the Sanctuary Hotel near Times Square has plenty of seats and TVs, as well as a DJ. If you want to eat some food, the menu has stuff like salads, pizzas, filet mignon, and penne alla vodka.
When: Tuesday, All Day
The Deal: $5 Frozen Margaritas
La Palapa has been a fixture on St. Marks for over two decades, and it's a great place for a casual dinner or some after-work drinks. They also have locations in two food halls (Gotham West Market and Urbanspace Vanderbilt).
When: Mon-Thurs, 5-7pm; Fri, 4-7pm; Sat-Sun, 2-7pm
The Deal: $11 Margaritas
The top cocktail bars in Williamsburg tend to be packed with tourists and people who spend at least half of their time in Nolita, but We Got Company makes great drinks, and it isn't hard to get a seat here. Happy Hour happens daily at this small, dark spot on Metropolitan Ave, so swing by and get an $11 margarita or a $9 Old Fashioned.
When: Daily, 4-7pm
The Deal: $8 Margaritas
If you're looking for a relatively normal place to drink in Chelsea, Crown Alley is there for you. This casual cocktail bar has a narrow space with brick walls and a couple of TVs, and they serve four types of margaritas. During Happy Hour, all of those margaritas cost $8, and you can also get $1 oysters.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
When: Daily Until 7pm
The Deal: $10 Margaritas
If you want to listen to some live music while eating hummus, boudin noir, and roasted chicken, check out Bar Lunatico in Bed-Stuy. You can find their calendar of upcoming performances here.
When: Mon-Fri, 12-7pm; Sat-Sun, 4-7pm; Wed-Sat, 11pm-2am
The Deal: $7 Frozen Margaritas
You'll see a lot of Columbia University students at this Morningside Heights bar with a retractable roof. The food is mostly Mexican, but you can also get things like chicken tenders and fish and chips.
photo credit: Noah Devereaux
When: Monday-Thursday, 5-6:30pm
The Deal: $1 Off Margaritas
In the backyard of this Bed-Stuy bar, there's a truck serving smoked brisket, duck, and shrimp tacos (in addition to a bunch of other varieties). They also sell taco kits for takeout that cost about $50. You can drink outside or grab a table indoors.
When: Monday-Friday, 4-7pm
The Deal: $8 Margaritas
This massive Fort Greene bar has a pool table, surf boards leaning against the walls, and some TVs in case you want to watch a game. The food is about what you'd expect at a place that serves a lot of beer. (Think tots, popcorn chicken, and burgers.)
